Previews02 Sep 1999


World Champions Michael Johnson, Svetlana Masterkova and Fabrizio Mori to compete in Rieti Grand Prix II

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Michael Johnson after setting his 43.18 World record at the 1999 World Championships in Seville (© Getty Images)

World Champions Michael Johnson, Svetlana Masterkova and Fabrizio Mori to compete in Rieti Grand Prix II

Four World Champions and ten World Championships finalists will take part in the IAAF Grand Prix II Meeting in Rieti which will take place on Sunday at the Stadium Raul Guidobaldi.

Double World Champion and 200m/400m World Record holder Michael Johnson will be contesting the shorter race in Rieti. Brazil’s Claudinei Quirinio Da Silva, Seville 200m silver medallist, who clocked a personal best of 20.00 in Seville should offer the strongest opposition to Johnson’s victory.

The men’s 400m hurdles will probably offer the most uncertain race of the meeting with four 1999 World Championships finalists to contest victory. Italy’s Fabrizio Mori will have to be in that same superb shape that helped him gain the World Title in Seville one week ago to respond to the attacks of 1997 World Champion Stéphane Diagana (FRA) and 1998 European Champion Pawel Januszewski (POL). Brazil’s Eronilde Nunes de Araujo who finished fourth in Seville and 1991 World Champion Samuel Matete (ZAM) will also be strong contestants.

In the women’s field two 1999 World Champions will compete in Rieti. 1500m World Champion Svetlana Masterkova will face Ethiopia’s Kutre Dulecha’s in the 1500m. Dulecha who finished third in the 1500m in Seville will be certainly be looking forward to take her revenge on Russia’s Masterkova in Rieti.

Triple jump World Champion Paraskevi Tsiamita will contest the long jump event in Rieti. Tsiamita has already jumped 6.93 so far this year but will certainly need to better her season’s best to win the contest in Rieti. With Italy’s Fiona May who finished second in Seville and who will receive all the home crowd support, and Great Britain’s Jo Wise – fifth in Seville - the contest should reach longer distances.

In the men’s 1000m race, Kenya’s Noah Ngeny seems likely to approach if not break Sebastian Coe’s old record of 2:12.18. Ngeny who finished second in Seville’s 1500m race behind unbeatable Hicham EL Guerrouj has already clocked 2:12.66 this year in Nice approaching Coe’s mark by 0.48 seconds. Ngeny should be pushed by Italy’s Andrea Longo who finished 6th in Seville’s 800m final.

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